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I'm Shelby Cullinan with today's health news. Some of Earth's oldest ancestors are living
inside the human body-despite not being human themselves. According to a new study, 19 new
pieces of non-human DNA have been discovered inside human bodies. This DNA was left by
viruses that infected those living on Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. The new
DNA, in addition to 17 other pieces of DNA discovered previously, could lead to further
breakthroughs in disease research. Among the researchers' findings include DNA of an intact
virus, which was only the second of its kind. The researchers are calling the virus Xq21.
Xq21 is part of a class of retroviruses called HERV-K. HERV, or human endogenous retroviruses,
is the term for ancient viruses that integrated their own genetic makeup into human DNA. Another
example of an HERV is ***, or the virus that causes AIDS. HERV-K genomes have also been
identified as a possible cause of Lou Gehrig's disease, a degenerative condition that harms
the body's muscles, and other retroviruses have been linked to schizophrenia. Co-author
of this study that this is a thrilling discovery and will open up many doors to research. For
dailyRx, I'm Shelby Cullinan.